Tom+Chee, which attracted the attention of sharks Barbara Corcoran and Mark Cuban when co-founders Quackenbush and Corey Ward appeared on ABC’s "Shark Tank," is planning a big expansion, he says. And Carrboro is North Carolina’s first taste.

“Our strategy, it has a little bit of East Coast in it, but it’s a lot about owning the middle of the country,” he says of his initial plans.

The restaurant will be located at 300 E. Main St. in Carrboro, the company confirms.

Quackenbush, whose business started as a Cincinnati food tent, does offer Triangle entrepreneurs some advice for getting funding. He has a lot to say, but it really comes down to one word: persistence.

“Have your ducks in a row,” he says. “Be organized. Know your business. ... It’s really knowing what you do and believing in what you do.”

He says it took a long time to even get on the show “Shark Tank.”

“You’re getting in front of the sharks who have, you know, a lot of money in between them, a lot of experience in between them, and they’re really not there for anything other than the impression,” he says. “Know your business. Know the holes in your business and how you plan to patch them.”

And, if you make the cut to be on the show, he says to keep your nerves in check.

“Be strong and true to who you are and don’t let them shake you,” he says.

The investor he ended up signing with, Barbara Corcoran, receives monthly financials, but isn’t part of the franchise’s day to day operations, he says.

She does, however, attend many restaurant openings. No word on whether she’ll be in Carrboro when Tom+Chee opens its doors there this spring.